The Danger Zone
By Rachel Head
In the first “Top Gun” movie, the danger zone is talked about when a pilot pushes their plane to go as hard as it can. It is very dangerous (hence the name) but something that sometimes has to be done at certain times. In our lives as Christians, we have a “danger zone”. Rarely is it ok to be in this zone but when we are in this zone we want to get away from it as fast as we can.
This danger zone I am referring to is being comfortable in what we are doing even if we know it is wrong. If we get too comfortable as Christians there is a very low chance that we are going to spiritually grow, be willing to change for the better, or bring others to Christ. Let’s observe people who decided to not settle for comfort and did many great things because they left their comfort zone.
Our first example is Ruth. There are so many great lessons from her but one that she shows is being willing to change even though it was uncomfortable at times. In Ruth 1, after Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah’s husbands died, Naomi decided to go back to Bethlehem-Judah. She told her two daughters-in-law that they could go back to their families. Orpah decided to go back to her family but Ruth stated this in Ruth 1:16-17:
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Ruth was willing to change her whole lifestyle that she had been living for years to follow Naomi into an unknown land. Many of us were raised in a Christian family so we do not necessarily understand this like those who were not raised in a Christian family. As Christians, though, we can go and will go through a lot of uncomfortable situations that make us grow and move on to better things. Mission trips, teaching Bible Classes, or even going to a new congregation are some things that take a lot of courage and make us leave our comfort zones.
Our second example is Cornelius in Acts 10. Cornelius was a God-fearing centurion. It says in verse two that he and his whole family feared God, gave alms, and prayed to God. He and his family could have stayed that way in their comfort zone. They could have decided to not pursue the truth and not spiritually grow any. But, he saw a vision one day that influenced him to send a few people after Peter to bring Peter to him. In Acts 10:33, it shows just how much Cornelius wanted to know the truth:
33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
Even though Cornelius was already doing a lot of things for God, he was not going to Heaven. After seeing the vision, He decided to step out of his comfort zone and fix things to change for the better so that he could go to Heaven. This decision influenced his whole family. As Christians, if we see that we are not spiritually growing where we are at, we need to change so that we are not like the church in Laodicea. It states this in Revelation 3:
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
The Laodiceans were sedentary in what they were doing. If we become like this, we are in a very dangerous zone. It takes a lot of courage and will to do uncomfortable things, change for the better, and always be growing but this is what we as Christians have to continually be doing.